Wisconsin Bucket List

Do you travel with a bucket list? I sure do. My Wisconsin bucket list: Friday night fish fry - check, Italian fries from Papplions - check, potato pancakes - check, lots of cheese - check, farmer's market - check, Italian gelato from Iola Mills - check, lefse-check.

We spent a very casual Sunday - church with our sister-in-law, took her out to breakfast because it was her birthday as well as Father's Day, sat on her lovely country deck and watched the bluebirds, marveled at the deer as they crossed the horse pasture, and listened to Jenny wren sing. We also were able to visit Uncle LaVerne in the nursing home who will celebrate his 91st birthday next Sunday. He is such a role model for his children - 5 girls and at last a boy!!!! A wonderful father and husband who is patiently waiting to join Aunt Avis in heaven.

Susan's beautiful country home - new deck in progress

view from the deck as we enjoy our morning Bible study with coffee

family dog, Skipper - almost so ugly he is cute!

Our sister-in-law, Susan, has an older farm house with an upstairs where we sleep. Last night as we went to bed, the beautiful moon was shining through the trees in the window with  all of its brilliance. As we watched it shimmer in the tree tops, we were so much reminded of the One who created all of this for us to enjoy. "And God made two great lights-the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night-and the stars". Genesis 1:16

 upstairs bedroom window where we view the moon

 starting to bring forth it's brilliance

 

through the clouds and trees - God is always with us

Spending the week with Susan, helping her with "to do" lists around her property and house (fixing fences, cleaning brush, trimming trees, mowing lawn, etc.) Yesterday and today we are baby-sitting her great granddaughter (and our great grand niece), Raeleigh. I now understand why God allows us to have children in our younger years - this tiny precious child wore the two of us out. Please keep Raeleigh's mother, Summer, in your prayers - Raeleigh is in temporary custody of her maternal grandmother as Summer deals with addiction and other issues.

 Raleigh and outfit her great-great grandma Susan made

 I love you

 and my toes

 fence repairs in progress

 

 niece Jacci taking a break from to do lists with Uncle Fredrick to play with Skipper

I never thought that I would enjoy "adult coloring books". Susan has a few of them and encouraged me to try. At first it was very overwhelming, but in time it proved to be very relaxing. I doubt that I will adopt this as a hobby though, but it was a fun new thing.

 

my first attempt at "adult coloring books"

 

I saw this on facebook which reminded me of the world today. We have been warned, people will not listen to the truth and are lead astray by false prophets and feel good preachers. Yes, there is a heaven and a hell and we all should be totally aware of it. This is why daily Bible reading is so important - we need to be informed as well as being able to grow spiritually. Join a small group Bible study, start one yourself, read all you can about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

 II Timothy 4:3



Small Towns, Country Roads, and Big Cities

Our road trip has taken us to some amazing places in the last weeks. After leaving Red Oak, Iowa  (small town) we traveled in the early morning hours to Oxford, Wisconsin (about 700 residents) to visit friends Doug and Yvonne Lundquist, who live out of town (country roads). The have a beautiful place, full of flower gardens, wild life, and peaceful settings. I love the quietness of the country, the fresh air, and the peaceful relaxation of the surroundings. We spent time just relaxing and enjoying each other's company before driving to a near-by town to take a short ferry ride across the Wisconsin River - a short cut to another near-by small town. After a day of sight-seeing, we spent the evening with a wonderful meal at a near-by restaurant-bar on a lake. Yes, almost every country restaurant in Wisconsin is part of a bar - most of them serving locally brewed beer. The following day, we were treated to a dinner show featuring Maggie Mae, who travels south for the winter to perform for the Winter Texans. She is an amazing performer, a wonderful employer, and a true lover of the Lord. If you ever get a chance to see her, either in Wisconsin or in the Valley in the winter, make sure you make it a point to see her!!!!

the blue spruce in Lundquists yard looks like it is snow covered

waiting for the ferry

all aboard

crossing the river

Maggie Mae's dinner show

lots of room for everyone in the barn

dinner ready to go


she is an amazing yodelier

always ready to entertain with a smile

After leaving Oxford, we traveled on to Wausau (big city) to our daughter Connie's home - a very old vintage home with so much character. We were there in time for Saturday morning farmer's market - we all love to stroll around just admiring everything. There are many coffee  vendors who import their coffee beans from small growers, roast them, and offer them to the public. We bought a bag of freshly roasted beans after trying the hot water brewed cup of coffee. It has a rich aroma and wonderful taste. Also bought some fresh asparagus which we baked with olive oil and salt - delicious. One gentleman was selling imported olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Greece sold locally. Of course, there were the usual flowering baskets, vegetables, and even local maple syrup which we purchased for our family in Arkansas, not to forget honey and flavoured honey sticks. We drove through the amazing county fairgrounds which is surrounded by magnificent old pine trees as Wausau was once a big lumbering area. A high wind came through last week and took down some of these giants but there are still  many of them left. We were able to partake in the traditional Friday fish fry, of which there is no comparison anywhere!!!! Our daughter and I made the annual trek to buy flowers for her porch and yard. Even setting up the tent like pergola in the backyard despite the cool and damp weather was an enjoyment. One day as we were enjoying the perfect temperatures, the tornado warning sirens sounded, alerting everyone to take cover (I had forgotten about the tornado weather in WI). We headed for the house and sat on the front porch to watch the storm pass by. Of course we had to take a day for "cheese shopping" to visit area cheese factories to purchase cheese per the orders given to us before we left Arkansas. It really did turn out to be a beautiful day as we roared from one cheese factory to the other  in daughter's new Camero (with her driving of course). I almost felt guilty as I enjoyed the wind in my face as the fields flashed by. De Ja Vu to high school days in a 57 Chevrolet - we really thought we were special!! Trying to finish up the week with visits with old friends before heading to our sister-in-law's home. We also were able to attend Highland Community Church where we surprised friends and relatives, as we had told no one we were there.

one of the local coffee roasters where we purchased our coffee

 the tall stately pines of Marathon Park which were left standing after the storm

 cleaning up after the storm - look at the piles of logs

 

                                        

 

 the trees were broken off and destroyed

 

 

Connie's peonies and hanging basket

 

 summer flowers -

 our daughter's dog, Jack, enjoying the sunshine

 my brother is a great artist - a picture he painted for our daughter's Wizard of Oz collection

 part of the Oz collection

 

We attended Highland Community Church last Sunday where Pastor Jeff Hines emphasized that God can use anyone, even you and me, to further His Word. He used Saul (who became Paul) , Levi (a hated and dreaded unsavory tax collector who became Matthew), a donkey (who talked) and even Rehab, a Gentile, Canaanite whom God condemned for their idolatry, their human sacrifices - an immoral woman who was named Rehab after Ra, an Egyptian. God chose Jericho for Joshua to defeat because they were the worst of all - the city was in the middle of all 7 larger cities, God chose to divide the cities so Joshua could defeat Jericho for His own glory. Rahab helped in the defeat in exchange for her and her family's safety, as everyone and everything was destroyed. Just as God used her, He uses us during our Christian process - immediately and continually. What is God doing in your life to advance your Christian walk? We are a model of faith, therefore God blesses us who honor Him. Faith comes from different backgrounds, all colors, religions, ethnic groups, etc.

 

Forget what is behind you - go forth and ahead. God uses us where we are today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On and Off the Road

Here it is Saturday already and I think I am finally finding time to write this past almost two weeks blog. It has been a event filled few days with many miles traveled. We left Joshua, Texas and made our way to Red Oak, Iowa to visit fellow Chaplains Jack and Karen Gregory and Bill and Ali Artherholt. Bill and Ali were off to Georgia for a few days to attend the graduation exercises of their grandson from basic training. Red Oak is a quiet little town with small town atmosphere almost taking you back to the days of easy, calm living. First on the agenda was to attend the farmer's market, where we saw homemade relishes, bakery items, and jellies as well as home grown vegetables. We purchased some wonderful dandelion jelly as we walked in the lush town square and then visited one of the local resale shops. Red Oak is the home of a small movie theater which for only $2 you can savor amazing delicious popcorn at a very reasonable price and enjoy an entertaining movie. Have you seen "Hail Caesar"?  Please don't!!!!  One of the strangest movies I have ever seen - good and fun entertainment but totally crazy. At least the popcorn was great. Bill and Ali arrived late Saturday night so we were able to worship with them and the Gregory's on Sunday. Karen prepared an amazing afternoon lunch where the six of us talked and laughed over past adventures. We loved the daily morning devotional time on the Gregory's patio, reading God's Word as we enjoyed the beauty of His creation around us. Bill and Ali took us to Omaha, NE, (yes, we made it to another state) to see the amazing bronze sculptures larger than life size. These sculptures were commissioned by a gentleman who owned the bank as a tribute the pioneering spirit of those who ventured into uncharted lands to establish their homes.

early morning drive from Arkansas - mist in the air

older neighbor of Jack and Karen - his mower just putts around the yard as he mows 

so serious about his project

 

a black squirrel - his fur is so glossy - are they  specie or just a strange twist of nature?? they are beautiful regardless

in Omaha with Bill and Ali

can you believe that every bit of these sculptures are made of brass - they look so real

she looks so happy as she gathers flowers along the trail

a family looking forward to a new home in the West

this lady was made as an exact replica of the deceased wife of the gentleman who commissioned and paid for the sculptures - the bank building which he is affiliated with is the tall building in the background

a difficult journey

wild joy

geese flying from the pond  into the atrium in the background

they even flew through a building

a family anticipating a great adventure 

westward ho

looks like Ali is trying to help while Fred is studying on the best way to get out of the mud.


Our next stop was in Oxford, Wisconsin where I will continue this saga next time.

While we were in Red Oak, we attended church services with the Gregory's and Artherholt's while also helping to serve coffee for the early service. Pastor Dave reminded us about how our life is filled with choices. God created us with a free will- who we choose to follow is really up to us, God or the world. There are three things that we are responsible for: our words, actions, and attitude. We are certainly not responsible for others words, actions, or deeds. Our values are what is really important to us - if your values are not enough then you have the wrong values. Our #1 value should be who or what we serve - God or this world. Take a look at your values and then decide if your current values are really important. Our culture today separates us from our beliefs.

Reexamine your values - are they making you happy? If not you need to change them.